SARASOTA, Fla. — The City of Sarasota is another step closer to nailing down its new look with six new city seal designs on the table.
In May, local leaders launched a contest to create a new seal, accepting submissions from graphic designers to amateur sketch artists alike. A "diverse panel of community members" then used the results from a public survey to help them narrow down the top six options.
These renderings aren't the final versions — they still need to be tweaked to align with feedback the city received from the community. One major element the city says it wants to ensure is that the featured palm trees are Florida's state tree, the cabbage palm, also known as the sabal palm.
And, the seal on the bottom right actually isn't one that was submitted. It's a combination of the five other designs created by city partner DreamLarge and will be considered as an option.
Once the final adjustments are made, the designs will be presented to the city commission. The public will be able to voice their opinions, but the city commissioners will have the final vote.
Why is Sarasota replacing its seal in the first place? For starters, the current one is 120 years old.
First selected in 1902, it features a large mullet in the water with palmettos in the distance along with the words "May Sarasota Prosper," the city's website explains.
While it may encompass Sarasota's history, Mayor Erik Arroyo argues the branding should symbolize a more modern representation of the city's vibrant community.
“As Sarasota evolves, so does the City’s brand,” Arroyo wrote on the city's website. “Our image should reflect the vibrancy of Sarasota to the greater community and the world. Our image should reflect our standing as a top destination, as a cultural hub, as an innovation driver, and the best place to live.”
Now, it's important to note that the seal is different than the city's logo, which features a gold silhouette of Michelangelo's David, inspired by the replica of the statue that stands over the central courtyard of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.
The logo will eventually be replaced, too, with a design influenced by an extensive community survey. We don't know what it will look like yet, but you can look at the survey results if you want to get a feel of where the design is headed.